The winter season is upon us and with that a potential for fires. It is a season when we burn leaves and brush, when we light fires in the outdoors and with the amount of debris from Hurricane Helene still not cleared the potential for fire in WNC is high. Philip Jackson, public information officer […]
Stronger together: Remembering one year after Helene
September 29, 2025 by
Community, students and staff remembered people lost, the devastations, the pain and the helpers by ringing a bell at the center of campus below the alumni clocktower on Friday, Sept. 26. Around 60 people surrounding the tower stood quietly while somber bell sounds followed the messages remembering and celebrating the people of WNC. Joy Mischley, […]
Haywood County: One year after Helene
September 29, 2025 by
Hurricane Helene devastated WNC Sept. 27, 2024. One year after the storm, residents of Haywood County gathered to commemorate what was lost and celebrate the volunteers and helpers that brought a sense of normalcy back to the county. The Haywood County Hurricane Helene remembrance ceremony was on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 9 a.m. outside the […]
WCU students explore hurricane-related impacts on local waterways
April 24, 2025 by
A group of passionate undergraduate students found a way to put a positive spin on Hurricane Helene while researching its impact on local waterways. Through their research, the six students – Dulaney Boonsue, Mei Cornell, Hunter Gibbs, Agnes Koury, Lucus Solomon and Austin Hutchinson – discovered that significantly low groundwater prior to the storm helped […]
WCU students and faculty help Cypress Missions become a “beacon of hope” for WNC
March 20, 2025 by
Spring break is usually the time students and faculty take the opportunity to go on trips with their friends or family. Some take the opportunity to have some time off and just relax in their hometown. Eight WCU students saw it as an opportunity to work and help those in need in the Western North […]
Mental Health in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene
March 4, 2025 by
Hurricane Helene devastated the lives of many throughout Western North Carolina and as many are working on rebuilding, mental health is not a priority. But should it be that way? Helene caused the damage of more than 100,000 homes in WNC, affecting nearly 200,000 people total. Eighty community emergency response teams volunteered logging more than […]
